Non-gyrating projectile fuse



NON-GYRATING PROJECTILE FUSE Filed Jan. 5, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 v Feb. 6, 1968 A. COMBOURIEUX 3,367,267

NON-GYRATING PROJECTILE FUSE Filed Jan. 5, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 1968 A. COMBOURIEUX 3,367,267

Filed Jan. 5, 1966 Feb. 6, 1968 A. COMBOURIEUX NON-GYRATING 'PROJECTILE FUSE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Jan. 1966 A. COMBOURIEUX NON*GYRATING PROJECIILE FUSE Feb. 6, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 5, 1966 United States Patent O 3,367,267 NON-GYRATHJG PROJECTILE FUSE Andr Combonrieux, Geneva, Switzerland, assigner to Indnstrial Holding Establishment, Vadnz, Liechtensten Filed Jan. 5, 1966, Sel. No. 518,937 Claims priority, application Switzerland, Jan. 8, 1965, 277/ 65 1 Ciaim. (Cl. 102-78) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLSURE An impact nongyrating projectile fuse having a firing hammer and a hammer bolt associated therewith. Trajectory safety means including a spring actuated rockerarm to control the arming of the fuse. Lcking means are provided to prevent both the operation of such rockerarm before firing and the movement of the hammer bolt. The locking means consist of a single rod actuated by inertia which is mounted to slide axially in the body of the fuse and such rod is the only inertia actuated part for preventing the movement of the hammer bolt.

The present invention concerns a non-gyrating projectile fuse, of the type operating upon impact and eomprising trajectory safety means, including a rocker-arm actuated by a spring, to control the arming of the fuse, and looking means to prevent, on the one hand, the operation of the rockerarm before firing and, on the other hand, the movement of a hammer bolt.

This fuse is characterized in that the said locking means are constituted by a single element mounted t0 slide axially in the body of the fuse.

The accompanying drawing shows, by way of exam ple, one embodiment of the fuse according to the invention.

FIG. 1 is a view in axial section according to 1-1 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 2 is a view in cross section along 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view in cross section along 33 of FIG. 1, showing the members in the safety position.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but showing the members in the so-called instantaneous position.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but showing the members in the so-called lag position.

FIG. 6 is a view in partial section along 6-6 of FIG. 7, on a larger scale, showing the rocker-arm and escapement device.

FIG. 7 is a plan view corresponding to FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a view in partial section of a detail already visible in FIG. 1 and showing the members of the safety position, before firing.

FIG. 9 is a view in cross section along 9-9 of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 8, but showing the members in the operating position which they occupy after the firing of the shot.

FIG. 11 is a view in cross section along 1111 of FIG. 10.

T he fuse shown comprises a body 1 on which is rotatably mounted a cover 2 itself provided with a cap 3. An insulating joint 4 is provided between the body 1 and the cover 2. The axial immobilization of the cover relative to the body is eflected due to a slit elastic ring 5 disposed in two complementary grooves made the one at 6 in the body 1 and the other opposite at 7 in the cover 2. This elastic ring is normally contracted so as to be entirely in the groove 6. A pointed screw 8 disposed in a corresponding threaded hole of the cover 2 is provided to separate the one from the other the two ends of said ring when the screw 8 is screwed home in its hole. The separation of the ends of the ring has for result to expand the latter and to bring it to the position shown in FIG. 1 (to the right) where it is seen that this ring is partly engaged in the two circular grooves 6 and 7, thus preventing any relative axial movement of 1 and of 2 while leaving the cover free to rotate relative to the body.

When the cover is in the position shown in FIG. 1 which corresponds to FIG. 3, the members are in the so-called safety position, in which the hammer 9 is held stationary by a hammer bolt 1). Simultaneously, a solid wall of a primer-holder barrel 11 is opposite the hammer. On the other hand, in this safety position, a primer-holder rack 12 ensures the break, as will be seen later on, of the pyrotechnical chain by which firing is effected.

In the safety position, et radial hole 13 made in the body 1 is opposite a solid part of the cover 2. In this hole are disposed two balls 14, 15, the first eompletely engaged and the second only partly. The ball 15 is partly engaged in a notch 16 of a rod 17 parallel to the axis of the fuse. This rod is provided to slide in a tube 18 made in thetrame 19 of a safety device which will be described later on. The lower end of this rod 17, which is hollow, is engaged in a socket 20 itself disposed in a housing of the body 1. A compression spring 21 is disposed inside the socket 20 and acts upwardly in FIG. 1, on the rod 17. 50 long as the balls 14 and 15 are in the position shown in FIG. 1, the rod 17 is immobilized. In this safety position, the rod 17 immobilizes the hammer bolt 10, that is to say prevents it from rotating about its pivoting axis 22 (FIG. 2).

The following means are further provided to immobilize the hammer bolt 10. A ball 23 is partly engaged in a housing 24 of the lower face of the bolt 10 and partly in a hole 25 parallel to the axis of the fuse and made in an upper part 26 of the frame 19. This frame 19, 26 is in two pieces for mounting reasons. This bail is maintained in the position shown in FIG. 1 by a rod 27 disposed in the hole 26 to slide therein. The lower end of this rod abuts against the primer-holder rack 12 when the members are in the position according to FIG. 1.

When one desires to arm the fuse to bring it either into the instantane0us position shown in FIG. 4, or in the lag position visible in FIGS. 2 and 5, one rotates the cover 2 in the desired direction relative to the body 1. One will describe what happens in each of these two cases.

If one rotates the cover 2 so as to bring the members into the position according to FIG. 4, that is to say until the pointer I figuring on the cover occupies the position which was that of the pointer S When one was in the satety position (FIG. 3), a driving dog 28 stationary relative to the cover 2 is partly engaged in a slot 29 made in the primer-holder barrel 11. During the relative rotation of the cover in relation to the body, this dog 28 obliges the barre] to rotate about its own axis by causing it to pass from the position visible in FIG. 3 to that shown in FIG. 4. As a result, the priming 30 has placed itself in the axis of the fuse. This priming is provided for instantaneous firing upon impact. The other priming 31 of the barrel 11 occupies, in the instantaneous position, the place shown in FIG. 4.

In order to pass from the safety position to the lag position, one rotates the cover so as to bring the pointer R into the position which the pointer S occupies in the safety position. In the lag position, the members are as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5. The rotation of the cover in the opposite direction to the one previously described occasions, through the agency of the dog 28, the rotation of the barrel 11 in such a way that it is the priming 31 which, this time, places itself in the axis of the fuse (FIG. 5). This priming diflers TOD1 the priming 30 -by its naturc, in order to ensure slower firing than in the case of the instantaneous.

The bringing into the correct instantaneous or lag position, that is to say the correct angle of rotation of the cover relative to the body, is ensured by the following means: a lng 32 is fixed in the body 1 and is disposed pposite a countersinking 33 made in the cover 2. In the safety position, this lug is disposed between the two ends of the countersinking whereas in the instantaneous position it abuts against one of these ends and in the lag position, against the other end. Thus, the selection of one of the two operation positions, lag or instantaneous, may be eflfected withont eye help. When the members o-f the fuse are either in the instantaneous position, or in the lag position, the projectile may be fired.

This is what happens at the moment of firing: the bringing of the cover 2 into one of the instantaneous or lag positions has for result to bring opposite the hole 13 a conntersinking 34 of suficient depth t0 permit the halls 14, 15 to move in order to take up the position according to FIG. l0, where the ball 15 is completely disengaged from the notch 16. The rod 17 is thus no longer immobilized by these halls.

At the moment of firing, through inertia, the rod 17 passes from the position according to FIG. 8 to the position et FIG. 10, by compressing its spring 21. As soon as this position has been reached, a lent spring 35 fixed in a way not shown on a part of the frame of the mechanism slackens and passes from the position according to FIG. 8 to that according to FIG. l0, where its f1ee end places itself opposite the upper end of the rod 17. As from this moment, this spring 35 prevents the rod 17 from reacting to the action of the spring 21. This rod is thus immobilized in the lower position.

In this lower position, another notch 36 of the rod 17 is opposite a rocker-arm 37 mounted to pivot around a hollow spindle 38 coaxial With the fuse. Before the firing of the shot, that is to say so long as the rod 17 was in the upper position, this rod blocked the rocker-mm and prevented it to oscillate. Now that it is in the lower position, it no longer opposes this oscillation. This rocker-arm thus begins to oscillate under the action of a driving spring 39, due to the following means: this spring 39 is disposed in a threaded plug 40 screwed in a radial hole of the body 1 situated opposite to the primer-holder rack 12. One secs at 41 the priming carried by 12 and at 42 the escapement c00perating With a toothed wheel 43 integral With a pinion 44 itself gearing With another toothed wheel 45; this latter is integral With another pinion 46 which, itself, gears With the teeth 47 of the primer-holder rack 12. One understands that under the action of the compressor spring 39, as soon as the rocker-arm can oscillate, the gear train described begins to rotate and the escapement 42 to function, which has for result to cause the rack 12 to advance step by step. This movement of the rack 12 in the frame 19 continues until the moment when this rack abuts against a part of the body of the fuse, as shown in FIG. l1. At the end of the racks travel, the priming of the latter is disposed in the axis of the fuse and from that moment the diterent elements of the pyrotechnical chain 30 or .31, 41 and a relay 53 of a detonator 54 (FIG. 10) are in alignment and firing may take place. In fact, before arriving at the end of the racks travel, the rear end 48 of the latter has passed in front of the lower end of the rod 27, so that this rod is no longer blocked in the position according to FIG. 1. Under the action of a torsion spring not shown, acting on the hammer bolt 1), this bolt starts to rotate, which forces the ball 23 and the rod 27 downwards since nothing any longer holds back this rod. As soon as the hammer bolt has released the hammer, the latter is a-ble to occasion firing at the moment when the projectile meets an obstacle. The operation of the hammer may take place in two ways; either by percussion of the central part 49 of the cap 3 which crashes bringing about the driving back of the hammer downwarcls in FIG. 1, or simply -by inertia, if the projectile bits an obstacle in a skimming way and in this latter case, at the moment et braking or stopping of the projectile, through inertia, the primer-holder barrel 11 is pr0jected forwards and the priming 30 or 31 which is in the axial position strikes the point of the hammer. One secs at 50 the spring which normally maintains the hammer in the position of rest.

It is seen that the fuse shown comprises trajectory safety means including a rocker-arm actuated by a spring and regulating the speed of radial movement of a primerholder rack, this adjustment being efected through the agency of an escapement. These trajectory safety means further comprise first locking means (rod 17) to prevent on the one hand the operation of the rocker-mm before firing and on the other hand the movement of the hammer bolt. Additional locking means shown by the rod 27 and the ball 23 are provided in order to release completely the hammer only after a certain movement of the rack.

It is to be noted that the first locking means are constituted in this example in a very advantageous manner by a single element 17 provided to slide axially in the body of the fuse. One thus replaces by a single member a complicated assembly of members which one finds in certain existing fuses. Of course, means not shown and easy to imagine are provided to prevent accidental rotation et the rod 17 around its own axis.

It should be noted that the rod 17 is accessible at the same time as the hammer bolt 1tl simply by removing the cover. This removal is easy since it is sufiicient to unscrew slightly the pointed screw 8 for the elastic ring 5 to assume a withdrawn position and free the cover. Thus, it is possible, after the operation trial, to bring back the rod 17 and the bolt 10 into the initial position. By operation trial is understood, as is Well ltnown, a mechanical test permitting or veritying all the functions of the fuse except, of course, firing. This firing may be prevented very easily by providing for the trial a primer-holder barrel equipped With inert priming, barrel which is replaced after the trial. Other methods of procedure are known.

Moreover, there is provided in the body 1 a radial threaded hole 51, situated diametrally opposite to the spring 39. A threaded plug 52 normally doses this hole. After the operation trial, when the rack 12 has reached the end of travel (FIG. Il), it is easy to bring back this rack to the initial position. In fact, it is sufficient to unscrew the plug 52 and to push back the rack 12 by means of a rod inserted in the hole 5T1, until this rack is at the end of its travel. This Withdrawal movement of the rack is possible because the escapement is chosen from the reversible type. When the rack is thus brought back to the initial position according to FIG. 1, While one maintains it in this position, one acts on the rod 17 by means of a rod of the same diameter in order to bring about the withdrawal of the holding spring 35 and then the return to the upper position of the rod 17 under the action of the spring 21. This donc, the escapement mechanism and the rack are immobilized in the initial position. Of course, one has had to take care to start by bringing back by hand the hammer bolt to the locking position then to invert the fuse, point downwards, which has for result to bring back through gravity the rod 27 and the ball 23 into the working position according to FIG. 1. Thus, the lower end of this rod allows free passage for the rack 12 in its withdrawal movement.

The control being etfected and the members being brought back to the initial position, one again positions the cover and one screws home the pointed screw 8, then one repositions the plug 52. The members 8 and 52 may then be definitely immobilized by a centre punch blow or by hammering in order to prevent acts of sabotage.

What I claim is:

1. A nongyrating projectile fuze of the type operating pon impact comprising a firing hammer, a hammer bolt 5 6 associated with said firin g hammer, trajectory safety means References Cited comprising a springactuated rocker-mm to control the UNITED STATES PATENTS arming of the fuze, an inertia rod mounted t0 slide axially in the body of the fuze having one end blocking said 1,665,666 4/1928 Junghans 10276 rocker-arm to prevent it from oscillating before the firing 5 3148621 9/1964 Varaud 102*84 X of the shot and the other end engaged with said hammer 2,984,184 5/1961 Cetre 102-84 X bolt t0 immobilize the latter in the safezy position, said rod having a notch to register With said rocker-arm upon BENJAMIN BORCHELT Pnmary Exammer firing in order to release said rocker-mm and said hammer SAMUEL FEINBERG, SAMUEL W. ENGLE,

bolt being simultaneously released by the other end of 10 Examiners. said inertia rod. G. H. GLANZMAN, Assistant Examiner. 

